Naomi, her husband, and two sons left famine-stricken Israel for Moab. While there, her two sons married, and then her husband and her two sons died, leaving Naomi and her two daughters-in-law widowed and hopeless in a culture that relies on a solid family structure for survival. Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth returned to Israel. Naomi believes she has been cursed by God; however, God is about to show her that the failures of others do not create a curse for her. Ruth finds a place where she can participate in the Israeli welfare system, and by coincidence (there are no coincidences with God), she is working in the field of a near relative to Naomi, Boaz. It seems from the narrative that it is nearly love at first sight, but Ruth is still in mourning over the loss of her husband and is focusing on caring for her mother-in-law, so Boaz must wait for Ruth to make the first move. In Chapter 3, she does; in the custom of Israel at the time, she asks Boaz to cover her with his cloak (a sign of asking him to cover her through marriage), and he agrees. In the custom, only the one closest to the deceased relative has the first right to marry. Marriage would entail redeeming the land that belonged to Naomi’s husband and sons, but it would also require the redeemer to marry Ruth. There is someone who is a closer relative than Boaz, so he must be asked first. That is where we pick up the story.
Ruth 4: 1,2
Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, “Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to talk to you.” So they sat down together. 2 Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them to sit as witnesses.
The town gate served as the city hall of that time. All city business and the judgment of the people were conducted there. Boaz notices the first in line to redeem the land and Ruth and invites him to sit down. He then calls ten other men. Ten men are required in any city to establish a synagogue. For your information, ten men are referred to as a minion. Some believe Boaz may be the mayor of the city due to the authority he exerts here, and his father, Salmon, might have been the mayor before him.
Ruth 4:3-6
And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 I thought I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish. If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don’t want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you.”
The man replied, “All right, I’ll redeem it.”
5 Then Boaz told him, “Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.”
6 “Then I can’t redeem it,” the family redeemer replied, “because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it.”
Here is where we see the challenge of redemption. The first relative would like to get the land but has no interest in the person of Ruth.
Some have questioned Ruth’s redemption based on the rules against Moabites and ammonites because of Numbers 25. The Mishnah, a book of the oral tradition of the Jews, actually written down, states, that the Deuteronomical law prohibiting Moabites was about men not necessarily women, especially women who had converted their faith. While they were Moabites ethnically, they were considered people of faith. We have the right to be redeemed by grace through faith
Ephesians 2:8,9 NKJV
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
I had mentioned before that while we look at prophecy as a spoken word and fulfillment the Jews look at it through pattern and type.
What we see here is typology in Naomi representing Israel through whom the Gentiles will come to fully understand their redeemer. Ruth representing the Gentiles who will ultimately allow the Jews to find their redeemer. Boaz being a type of Jesus redeeming both Ruth and Naomi by his grace, love, kindness and paying the full price for our redemption. Some also say the first redeemer is a type of the law who could not redeem either Jew or Gentile but only the true redeemer could and was willing to pay the price for us!
So the story unfolds…
Ruth 4: 7-10
Now in those days it was the custom in Israel for anyone transferring a right of purchase to remove his sandal and hand it to the other party. This publicly validated the transaction. 8 So the other family redeemer drew off his sandal as he said to Boaz, “You buy the land.”
9 Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, “You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. 10 And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.”
The redemption plan for the land is found in Leviticus 25:25-28, while Naomi’s redemption plan, involving Ruth, is in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. This plan not only includes the removal of the sandal, but it also instructs the woman to spit in his face. This demonstrates the severity of a man refusing to redeem his brother’s name and property.
So what does a sandal have to do with the land…the scripture often references claiming land by walking on it as in Joshua 1:3
Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
This was the basis behind the sandal, which represented possession or surrender of possession of the land. The minions of men made the transaction legal.
Ruth 4:11,12
Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, “We are witnesses! May the LORD make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 And may the LORD give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.”
The witnesses’ double blessing was that Ruth would be fruitful and bear a child, akin to how Jacob and his wives contributed to Israel’s ten tribes. Secondly, in Genesis 38, we have the story of Judah and Tamar. Tamar, like Ruth, was not an Israelite but became a blessing through levirate marriage, giving birth to two sons: Zerah, the first of the twins, and Perez, the second. Yet, despite being born second, Perez became the more blessed of the two, just as Jacob did with his brother Esau!
Oftentimes, we may feel like second-class citizens, but our future is not determined by people, circumstances, or things; only the Holy Spirit can shape our future if we choose to trust in Him. This was the difference between Jacob and Esau, Perez and Zerah, and how Ruth became the heir of blessing.
Too often, as Christians, we settle for simply gleaning in the Father’s field, feeling comfortable working with Him or for Him, when what He truly desires is intimacy with us. He wants us to move beyond merely doing things for Him and loving Him from a distance. He desires a daily relationship with us so that we can know His heart, understand what He is doing, and always live in His love, peace, and joy!
Ruth not only was rescued from poverty, but everything that belonged to Boaz is now hers!
Ruth 4: 13-15
So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the LORD enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the LORD, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. 15 May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”
This explains part of the reason the one who was to be redeemed was Ruth. Ancient Jewish manuscripts state that Ruth was about 40 years old and Boaz about 80 and Naomi was about 80 as well. Naomi was well past for most purposes child bearing years and a child would not be able to be raised up from her.
It is verified to Naomi that while she thought God cursed her because of the disobedience of Elimelech, he had not. Yes, for a season she suffered the consequences of another’s foolish decision God saw her heart. He blessed her and Ruth….and Boaz….and ultimately all of us! Ruth was more of a blessing to her than seven sons
Ruth 4:16-23
Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. 17 The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.
18 This is the genealogical record of their ancestor Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron. 19 Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab (A-min-na-dab). 20 Amminadab was the father of Nahshon (nation). Nahshon was the father of Salmon (Sal-men). 21 Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed.22 Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David.
Because this was the redemption for Naomi, she was given the right to name the child. She named him “Obed” meaning servant of God! Something we need to remember is Salmon was married to Rahab the harlot from Joshua 2. Tamar, Rehab, and Ruth all women of ungodly backgrounds profoundly came to the Lord and their lives were completely redeemed by their faithfulness to the Lord.
- You are here today and nothing you have done can’t be redeemed by God and your life totally and completely blessed by God. God is in the redeeming business! God knew you even before you or even the world were created and he chose you just as Boaz chose Ruth but Ruth had to chose Boaz to receive the blessings and inheritance God has planned for her
- God knows you and if you choose to trust him he will turn everything for your good even things other may have done that may have hurt, limited or hindered you in some way
- When you learn to trust the Lord he always directs our paths, there are no coincidences in God. He has a plan for you life and he will lead and guide you.
- Trust him he knows what you need and as you are faithful in little he will bless you with much!